Bobby Russell expects Rangers to challenge

Speaking to The Glasgow Evening Times, Rangers legend Bobby Russell has backed Mark Warburton's side to mount a Scottish Premiership title challenge next season.

Rangers won promotion back to the big time after dominating the Scottish Championship en route to the title, finshing top of the pile by 11 points in the end.

The Gers then went and beat Celtic - who have won five successive Premiership crowns - in the Scottish Cup semi-final to reach the showpiece at Hampden Park.

But expectation has risen further in recent weeks as Rangers successfully recruited former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Rossiter and Joey Barton to Ibrox on free transfers.

They join Matt Crooks and Josh Windass as Warburton's four summer signings thus far - the other two also being Bosman arrivals - and the Glasgow giants certainly seem like they mean business.

Russell, who spent 10 years at Ibrox, expects a few more signings, and the 59-year-old expects his former club to challenge the Hoops, claiming the club is "too big" not to try and win the title in their first season back in the top flight.

“Rangers are too big a club to not look to win the league. They have made a few signings, there will be a couple more," he told The Glasgow Evening Times.

“They will be going up there with the intention of winning the league. You can’t think that second or third will do, not at Rangers."

Shane Callaghan

Shane is a Dublin-based sports writer who swapped the football pitch for the press box upon learning that he was better with a pen than with a round bit of leather. Prior to joining HITC, Shane enjoyed spells with Sports Mole and Goal.com among others, while he was also club reporter for Irish football club Drogheda United.